Cardiff taxi drivers to go on strike over weekend

Taxi drivers in Cardiff are set to go on strike this weekend.

The strike has been organised by Cardiff Hackney Carriage Association due to "frustration" about the way complaints against drivers are dealt with.

It will take place from midnight to 02:00 BST on Saturday and Sunday and the following weekend.

Cardiff council said it advised "all drivers to understand and abide by their licensing conditions".

It follows a council clampdown on taxi drivers over reports they had been refusing short-distance fares.

The council had urged people to take note of the badge number or vehicle registration of drivers who refused fares.

But Mathab Khan, chairman of the association, claimed the council's guidance had "instigated a wave of insult and abuse" against drivers.

"It has been very damaging to the taxi trade," he said.

"We are very upset and can't afford to strike but this is the only way we can voice our anger."

He also raised concerns about the way drivers' licences have been suspended.

"If drivers are committing an offence then they should be prosecuted in the courts and not by the council licensing committee," he said.

A council spokesman said the licensing authority "hasn't been informed by organisers if the strike is going ahead" and advised "interested parties" to contact Mr Khan.

The council had "made it very clear about the grounds for a hackney carriage driver to refuse a fare" and took action to ensure "individual drivers are a fit and proper person to hold a licence", the spokesman said.

"The council maintains that rather than threatening strike action, we would advise all drivers to understand and abide by their licensing conditions, or face enforcement action for breaching the law," he added.